Rapid loss of fine motor skills after low dose space radiation exposure

Blackwell, Ashley A.; Fesshaye, Arriyam; Tidmore, Alyssa; Lake, Rami I; Wallace, Douglas G.; Britten, Richard A.

doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113907

Cited by 16 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Contrastingly, SR impaired gross motor performance needed for the BB task in some individuals that hindered their ability to traverse the beam and required the highest number of trials to reach criterion. These sensorimotor problems are consistent with previous reports [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 40 ] and were exacerbated in the vulnerable phenotype. Combined, this resulted in one of the lowest percent of animals that reached criterion of any treatment group.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…During the long durations of the proposed NASA Mars missions, astronauts will be exposed to several physical and psychological challenges, including exposure to space radiation (predicted~13 cGy/Yr (SR)) and periods of social isolation (SI). Individually, SI and SR have been reported to alter behavior [ 1 , 2 ], spatial working memory [ 2 ], and sensorimotor functions [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]. However, the synergistic effects of SI and SR combined are all but unknown.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Differential Impact of Social Isolation and Space Radiation on Behavior and Motor Learning in Rats

Adkins

Colby

Boden

et al. 2023

Life

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Future missions to Mars will expose astronauts to several physical and psychological challenges, including exposure to space radiation (SR) and periods of social isolation (SI). Each of these stressors, in addition to mission demands, can affect physical and mental health and potentially negatively impact sleep. The effects of inflight stressors may vary with duration and time course, may be additive or compounding, and may vary with individual differences in stress resilience and vulnerability. Determining how individual differences in resilient and vulnerable phenotypes respond to these mission-related stressors and their interactions with sleep will be crucial for understanding and mitigating factors that can impair performance and damage health. Here, we examined the single and compound effects of ground-based analogs of SI and SR on sensorimotor performance on the balance beam (BB) in rats. We also assessed emotional responses during testing on the BB and assessed whether sensorimotor performance and emotion varied with individual differences in stress resiliency using our established animal model in which stress produces different effects on sleep. Results showed differential motor performance and emotion in the BB task between SI and SR, and these varied based on resilient and vulnerable phenotypes. These findings demonstrate that identifying individual responses to stressors that can impact sensorimotor ability and behavior necessary to perform mission-related tasks will be of particular importance for astronauts and future missions. Should similar effects occur in humans, there may be considerable inter-individual variability in the impact that flight stressors have on the mental health of astronauts and their ability to perform mission-related tasks.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differential Impact of Social Isolation and Space Radiation on Behavior and Motor Learning in Rats

Adkins

Colby

Boden

et al. 2023

Life

Self Cite

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“…It is also possible that each of the separate individual tasks within the Neuroscore test were not sensitive enough to pick up the integrated deficits that are unveiled with highly organized, complex behavior, such as nest building and previously reported string-pulling behavior. As previously seen, different behavioral tests can result in different outcomes, even with the same exposure dose [ 11 , 13 , 14 ]. The homecage is thought to be important for identifying the behavioral patterns that may have been otherwise missed by out-of-cage analysis [ 33 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The authors believed this to be due to the higher average LET (or to the higher Z ions− 16 O, 28 Si or 56 Fe) of the GCRSim beam compared to the 4 He ion beam [ 11 ]. A further study of the same dose of 10 cGy found that both rats exposed to 4 He or GCRSim also exhibited poorer performance of fine motor skills about 13 weeks postexposure when compared to sham, and that this was further exasperated with sleep fragmentation [ 12 ], However, at 72 h postexposure to 10 cGy of GCRSim or 4 He, male Wistar rats exhibited poorer performance of fine motor skills when exposed to 4 He rather than GCRSim [ 13 ]. Though, at 12-weeks postirradiation, male Wistar rats exposed to 10 cGy GCRSim showed significant impairment in constrained cognitive flexibility and insightful problem solving [ 14 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Galactic Cosmic Irradiation Alters Acute and Delayed Species-Typical Behavior in Male and Female Mice

Puukila,

Siu,

Rubinstein

et al. 2023

Life

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Exposure to space galactic cosmic radiation is a principal consideration for deep space missions. While the effects of space irradiation on the nervous system are not fully known, studies in animal models have shown that exposure to ionizing radiation can cause neuronal damage and lead to downstream cognitive and behavioral deficits. Cognitive health implications put humans and missions at risk, and with the upcoming Artemis missions in which female crew will play a major role, advance critical analysis of the neurological and performance responses of male and female rodents to space radiation is vital. Here, we tested the hypothesis that simulated Galactic Cosmic Radiation (GCRSim) exposure disrupts species-typical behavior in mice, including burrowing, rearing, grooming, and nest-building that depend upon hippocampal and medial prefrontal cortex circuitry. Behavior comprises a remarkably well-integrated representation of the biology of the whole animal that informs overall neural and physiological status, revealing functional impairment. We conducted a systematic dose-response analysis of mature (6-month-old) male and female mice exposed to either 5, 15, or 50 cGy 5-ion GCRSim (H, Si, He, O, Fe) at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL). Behavioral performance was evaluated at 72 h (acute) and 91-days (delayed) postradiation exposure. Specifically, species-typical behavior patterns comprising burrowing, rearing, and grooming as well as nest building were analyzed. A Neuroscore test battery (spontaneous activity, proprioception, vibrissae touch, limb symmetry, lateral turning, forelimb outstretching, and climbing) was performed at the acute timepoint to investigate early sensorimotor deficits postirradiation exposure. Nest construction, a measure of neurological and organizational function in rodents, was evaluated using a five-stage Likert scale ‘Deacon’ score that ranged from 1 (a low score where the Nestlet is untouched) to 5 (a high score where the Nestlet is completely shredded and shaped into a nest). Differential acute responses were observed in females relative to males with respect to species-typical behavior following 15 cGy exposure while delayed responses were observed in female grooming following 50 cGy exposure. Significant sex differences were observed at both timepoints in nest building. No deficits in sensorimotor behavior were observed via the Neuroscore. This study revealed subtle, sexually dimorphic GCRSim exposure effects on mouse behavior. Our analysis provides a clearer understanding of GCR dose effects on species typical, sensorimotor and organizational behaviors at acute and delayed timeframes postirradiation, thereby setting the stage for the identification of underlying cellular and molecular events.

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“…Deep space missions inherently involve dramatic increases in exposure to highly charged and energetic (HZE) ionizing radiation, which affects cellular function. Dose-relevant radiation studies have revealed direct effects on neuronal tissue ( Raber et al, 2016 ; Jandial et al, 2018 ), functional decrements ( Vlkolinsky et al, 2010 ; Blackwell et al, 2022 ), as well as oxidative stress and neuroinflammation ( Zwart et al, 2021 ; Holley et al, 2022 ; Miller et al, 2022 ; Verma et al, 2022 ). Neuroinflammation is in turn associated with a wide range of maladies—including neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s diseases ( Teleanu et al, 2022 ).…”

Section: The Brain In Spacementioning

confidence: 99%

Nourishing the brain on deep space missions: nutritional psychiatry in promoting resilience

Pathare,

Fayet-Moore,

Fogarty

et al. 2023

Front. Neural Circuits

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The grueling psychological demands of a journey into deep space coupled with ever-increasing distances away from home pose a unique problem: how can we best take advantage of the benefits of fresh foods in a place that has none? Here, we consider the biggest challenges associated with our current spaceflight food system, highlight the importance of supporting optimal brain health on missions into deep space, and discuss evidence about food components that impact brain health. We propose a future food system that leverages the gut microbiota that can be individually tailored to best support the brain and mental health of crews on deep space long-duration missions. Working toward this goal, we will also be making investments in sustainable means to nourish the crew that remains here on spaceship Earth.

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Rapid loss of fine motor skills after low dose space radiation exposure

Cited by 16 publications

References 40 publications

Differential Impact of Social Isolation and Space Radiation on Behavior and Motor Learning in Rats

Differential Impact of Social Isolation and Space Radiation on Behavior and Motor Learning in Rats

Galactic Cosmic Irradiation Alters Acute and Delayed Species-Typical Behavior in Male and Female Mice

Nourishing the brain on deep space missions: nutritional psychiatry in promoting resilience

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